


Bounty

by old_and_new_friends



Series: Rare Pair Challenge Fics [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bounty Hunters, F/F, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Kidnapping, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 02:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30081840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_and_new_friends/pseuds/old_and_new_friends
Summary: June had a job. It was a simple job for a woman like her. Until it wasn't.Rule Number One of Bounty Hunting: Never get attached.
Relationships: Jiang/June (Avatar)
Series: Rare Pair Challenge Fics [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2168028
Kudos: 2
Collections: 2021 Avatar Pro-Shipping Rare Pair Challenge





	Bounty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for week 5 of rare pair challenge: Sir, this is my emotional support (pirate)

June watched the ship as it bobbed up and down with the flow of the river. The sails were down and only a few crew members wandered the deck. It was late at night, but for some reason a light was still on in the captain’s quarters.

The crew of the _Flying Wolfbat_ had been causing problems for the Fire Nation military presence along this river. Usually, June wouldn’t venture this far south, but the price on the captain’s head was worth it and June needed the money after that stupid mission with the Fire Nation brat and his gross Grandpa.

The little upstart had refused to pay her with the Avatar’s escape, as if it wasn’t his incompetency that lost the kid. Her shirshu, Nyla still struggled to hunt people down by scent. June had to find the ship using her own intuition, something she had plenty of contrary to the bounty hunter community’s belief.

June just counted herself lucky that Nyla had regained enough sense of smell to aim properly.

Motion on the boat brought her attention back to her target. The Captain had come out onto the deck before dropping down into the cargo hold.

From what June had learned, this ship stole goods from the Fire Nation and shipped them out to be sold to the highest bidder. They were pirates, a group June wouldn’t typically bother with but the reward in this instant had been too tempting.

The ship seemed to run like a well-oiled machine, with the crew working amicably with each other. They had likely been working together for years. June kept that in mind as she planned her attack.

The ship would sail down the river for a cargo pick up tomorrow. June planned to catch them off guard as they loaded the ship. The Fire Nation guards wouldn’t stop her, but she also couldn’t count on them to help.

June took one last look at the ship. The Captain had come back on deck and was now staring down into the water. June could barely make out their details but it was enough to know they were rather lean and tall. June figured they were about her height.

She squeezed Nyla to get the creature to leave, hesitating on using the whip. The last thing she wanted to do was get caught from the loud cracking sound it made.

Morning came and June trailed the ship down the river from the wooded river bank till she reached the town the ship stopped at. There, she waited on the roof of the guard house with Nyla. They were settled on the far side, where those on the ship wouldn’t see them until it was too late.

It took a while before the few members of the crew that had left the ship returned. A cart with boxes of supplies was being rolled onto the ship. The Captain was talking with the Fire Nation guards while her crew struggled to unload boxes. 

June took her chance.

Nyla jumped down into the street sending citizens scrambling back. The Captain of the ship turned to her and backed up as she took in the shirshu. She turned to run for the ship, dodging as Nyla’s tongue shot out to hit her.

June could give credit where it was due. The crew of the _Flying Wolfbat_ knew how to make quick escapes, as the ship was already pulling from the dock by the time the Captain’s foot landed on deck.

June whipped at Nyla’s hindquarters, urging the shirshu to make the jump from dock to boat.

Nyla’s claws dug into the wooden deck of the ship as she skidded slightly. The Captain of the ship pulled a sword as she backed towards the cabins behind her. The sword swung out towards Nyla and would have gotten the shirshu’s tongue, had June not pulled Nyla up short.

June glared down at the Captain who smirked up at her. Nyla wouldn’t risk her tongue to attack and her target knew that.

She slid from the back of her shirshu and pulled her whip. It made a cracking sound as it flew through the air, but the Captain only seemed amused at the motion.

June launched the whip out, wrapping it around the Captain’s wrist and pulling the woman towards her. The leather dug into her wrist guards, causing groves to form in the banding. 

With her arm pulled taut, the Captain’s sword went tumbling. June used the fumble to her advantage and made a clicking noise towards Nyla.

Nyla’s tongue shot out, only for the beast to scream in pain as the pirate Captain slashed up with their retrieved sword.

The Captain was ambidextrous.

June growled as Nyla shook her head in pain. The creature lost its coordination and toppled over into the water.

“Oops,” the Captain said, twirling the sword in their left hand, “looks like you lost your escape route.”

June pulled on the Captain’s wrist once more, but gave up when it became clear she was surrounded. She didn’t particularly feel like being skewered on the end of a sword.

Her hands were tied behind her back as the Captain took her whip. The ship was too small for an actual brig so she ended up tied to a support post in the cargo hold.

“Who sent you?” one of the men asked.

June glared at him and didn’t answer.

“Leave,” the Captain ordered as she entered the room. She pulled up a chair and plopped down in it across from June. June’s whip was placed in her lap.

The rest of the crew filed out of the room, leaving only the two women.

“The Fire Nation sent you didn’t they,” the Captain asked.

June didn’t reply.

“That’s okay,” the Captain said. “I expected them to send a bounty hunter sooner or later. I was just expecting more of a fight.”

June glared across at the other woman. Instead of continuing to hold her silence, she decided to use the conversation to her advantage, as she started twisting her wrists around in her bindings. “I can give you a fight,” June said. “I’m the best there is.”

“Well,” the Captain said, “I don’t doubt you can give a good fight, but if you’re the best there is, I think I can cross bounty hunters off my list of people to worry about.”

“It’ll be the last thing you do,” June said, slipping her thumb free from the bindings. “This? Is temporary.”

“If course it is,” the Captain said. “Because when we land, I’m turning you over to the Earth Kingdom military. I’m sure they have a bounty on you just as high as the Fire Nation one on me.”

June laughed. “You can think that,” June said. The Captain was wrong. She assumed June was a Fire Nation bounty hunter, but June didn’t play that game. If you could pay her, she’d do the work.

If she wanted to.

For the first time the Captain’s mask seemed to break as she tried to figure out what that meant. She had likely expected her statement to be met with fear, not laughter. The Captain seemed wrong footed now.

“My name’s Jiang,” the Captain, Jiang, finally said. “Who are you, and how do I get you off my back?”

June was surprised with how up front the Captain, Jiang, was. “You can’t,” June said, not bothering to give her name.

“We’ll see about that,” Jiang said, standing from her seat. June’s whip was still wound up in her hand. She tapped it to her side, as if to say, I’m going to keep this, before leaving the room.

June waited until her footsteps faded before standing. The ropes at her back dropped to the ground, and she quickly slipped from the room.

The deck was empty where she surfaced and she quickly ran to the edge of the ship. She was surprised at what she saw.

Nyla was tied down to the ship railing. 

It was another mistake the pirates would regret making. A quick slash of a knife from June’s side bag, and the shirshu was free.

“Let’s get out of here girl,” she said, as soon as a shout sounded from above.

They had been spotted, but it was too late to catch them.

Nyla jumped from the ship and splashed down into the water as she made her way towards shore.

There was no attack from the ship, not even a call to arms and when June turned back from the safety of the bank, Jiang was staring out at her.

June couldn’t make out her expression, but she could make out the coiled whip now hanging from her belt.

June allowed the Captain her small victory. She would get it back when she captured the other woman.

June left Nyla behind as she entered the village the _Flying Wolfbat_ had promised this shipment of supplies to.

She watched from a distance as people ran out to greet the pirates. Her brow furrowed slightly as the only compensation the crew seemed to take were flowers.

She watched the group closer after that, realizing that pirate wasn’t the best term for the group. They weren’t stealing Fire Nation supplies to sell. They were stealing them to share.

June frowned slightly. It didn’t make a difference, as Jiang was still her target. June wasn’t getting short changed again.

She slipped through the back streets following Jiang. She wasn’t stupid enough to assume the woman didn’t know she was being followed. Jiang had proven herself a worthy adversary, which was why June wasn’t surprised in the least when she attacked first.

June was surprised that it was her own whip that she used to attack. The whip fell short, snapping against an alleyway wall rather than at June. June raised a bow.

“That’s not how you use it,” she said, lunging forward and snatching Jiang by her arm. The whip fell from her hand, but June wasn’t falling for the same trick twice and snatched her whip back up before Jiang could do so with her free hand.

June twisted Jiang’s arm behind her back and slammed the pirate Captain against the wall. Jiang’s teeth made a clicking noise as they slammed together and June pushed all her weight down onto the other.

“Now,” June said. “You’re coming with me.”

“Bite me,” Jiang said. Her leg slipped between June’s and before June could register what she was doing, her feet were swept out from under her.

June spun in a circle, knocking Jiang to the ground as she herself launched back up. 

Jiang moved to get back to her feet, when June pushed her back down with her shoe, before straddling the other woman to hold her down.

June watched the other woman struggle as she wrapped rope around her wrists. 

June noted this close that the other woman had a light dusting of freckles across her nose. It was a shame the Fire Nation had a bounty on her head, because Jiang was just the kind of pretty and fierce, June liked in a woman.

“Let me go,” Jiang said, trying to pull her wrist free from June’s grip. June had her wrists tied together, but Jiang still managed to roll them till she was back on top.

June froze as Jiang brought her bound hands to her throat. The small bit of give June had left between Jiang’s wrists was now pressed against her windpipe. It was more of a warning, than any real pressure, but June wasn’t going to test the woman above her. 

June had no doubt if Jiang found it necessary, she would kill her. June also had no doubt that Jiang would try and avoid it if she could.

“I’m going to get up,” Jiang said. “I’m going to walk away, and return to my ship. You won’t follow me and you’ll put the idea of catching me behind you.”

“I’ll promise all but the last,” June said. The pressure on her neck increased slightly, but it still wasn’t enough to affect the way June breathed. “You’re all show, aren’t you?”

Jiang growled. “I’m a good person these days,” she said, leaning forward until her breath ghosted across June’s face. “But I haven’t always been. You don’t want to meet who I used to be.”

June believed her. “Go,” June whispered, “I’ll catch up later.”

Jiang stared down at her a moment longer. “You’re a pain in my ass,” Jiang whispered back.

She stood, hesitantly. When it was clear that June was staying down until she was gone, she made quick work of her wrist bindings before leaving.

“My name’s June,” June said, not sure what compelled her to say so. She wasn’t even sure if Jiang was still around to hear.

June glared out at the _Flying Wolfbat_. After her last encounter with the ship’s Captain, June had been left off kilter.

There was something about the other woman that got under June’s skin. Jiang wasn’t like most of the people June hunted. Most were sniveling cowards, or people who got over confidant in their skills and reached the end of their line. 

Jiang was in her prime. More importantly, she wasn’t a bad person. June had only a handful of cases where the people she hunted made her pause. She still turned them in, but she would have the occasional moment of doubt after.

Jiang was a rarity in this world though. What she did was pure charity at the risk of her own life. June had a high respect for that, but it didn’t change the terms of her job.

Which was why she was slipping onto Jiang’s ship with nothing more than a needle coated in shirshu venom and her wits. Jiang was coming with her tonight and no one was stopping her.

June’s black hair and clothes blended well with the darkness of night. A mask high on her face, covering everything but her eyes, made her nearly invisible.

Jiang’s quarters were easy enough to find as they were the first room one crossed when entering the cabin area. The Captain was sprawled out in bed sleeping peacefully. It was an interesting dichotomy from the first night June watched her, when she stayed up late to pace the deck.

June reached over to put Jiang under when the woman woke up with a gasp. It was too late though, as the shirshu venom caused her muscles to lock up. Even Jiang’s jaw was locked up, making her unable to do more than grunt as June carried her from the ship.

“It’s really nothing personal,” June said, as she lifted Jiang onto Nyla’s back.

Jiang just glared out at her.

“We have a ride ahead of us,” June said. “They want you delivered to the southernmost colony.”

Jiang growled at her, and June left it, as she directed Nyla northward.

The shirshu venom had worn off after a day’s worth of travel. If June wanted, they could be in the colonies by now, but running like that tired Nyla out. June didn’t want to think of the other reason she was stalling.

Jiang was tied up enough that it made little difference if she was paralyzed or not. She rode side saddle behind June, both of them being stubbornly silent.

June shouldn’t have let her guard down. Jiang had proven more tenacious than most.

One second June was upright in Nyla’s saddle, the next Jiang had lifted her arms over June’s head, locking them together with the ropes on her wrist and twisting till they both fell down.

June wasn’t quite sure what Jiang’s plan had been there and from her startled expression, Jiang hadn’t really thought it through.

June shook her head and lifted Jiang back up on the shirshu. 

“How do you stand it?” Jiang asked, as June hopped into the saddle with her. “Doing what you do, knowing you’re hurting innocent people?”

“Rarely are the people I hurt innocent,” June said. “You’re an exception.”

“And yet you still hunted me down,” Jiang said.

“It’s what I do,” June replied.

“The Fire Nation have no morals,” Jiang muttered.

“I’m not Fire Nation,” June said. “I just work for them.”

“You look it,” Jiang said. “Top knot and everything.”

June didn’t bother replying.

“If you aren’t Fire Nation, then why do you help them?” Jiang said.

“I already told you, it’s not personal,” June said. “I don’t help the Fire Nation. I work for them, just as I work for the Earth Kingdom and independent parties. It’s a job, not a moral stance.”

“You work for the Earth Kingdom?” Jiang asked. She seemed surprised at that.

“If they pay enough,” June said.

“I don’t get you,” Jiang said.

“What’s there to get?” June asked. “Someone wants someone else dead or alive, they pay me, I do it.”

“But you do so indiscriminately,” Jiang said. “If you aren’t Fire Nation, then why work for them? They hate everyone else. The people they have bounties on are trying to stop the war. Don’t you want them to lose?”

June laughed harshly. “It doesn’t matter if the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom wins. Both sides hate me at the end of the day. There’s no place in this world for the child of two nations,” June said. “So, why should I care who wins?”

“Oh,” Jiang said softly. “I didn’t know.”

“Why would you,” June said.

They fell silent again at that. June tensed as Jiang’s head rested on her shoulder, thinking it was another of the pirate’s tricks. Soft even breaths hitting her neck told her Jiang had fallen asleep. June tried to ignore the weight on her shoulder as best she could.

She stopped them for the night shortly after, tying Jiang to Nyla so the woman wouldn’t get any ideas of escape.

“My crew,” Jiang said, suddenly.

“What about them?” June muttered.

“A place for a child of two nations,” Jiang said. “You could join my crew. We wouldn’t judge you there and your skills would be very helpful.”

“Nice try,” June said.

“I’m serious,” Jiang said, leaning forwards until June was forced to see her face. “I’m sorry the world made you feel like you don’t belong, but helping the Fire Nation isn’t right. There is a difference in them winning versus the Earth Kingdom, even for you. I have no strong love for the Earth Kingdom’s government but I know it doesn’t care about subjugating the Fire Nation, we just want what’s ours back.”

June frowned, thinking back to the bratty Prince she had met. The Fire Nation often misled her more than the Earth Kingdom, but they were nicer to her about her background.

“I have mixed experiences,” June said. “The Earth Kingdom can be just as cruel at times.”

Jiang huffed. “Whatever,” she said, pouting. Apparently, even Jiang couldn’t argue with that statement.

The fire cracking was loud in the silence. June looked out into the tree line, searching the darkness, even as she knew nothing was there. It gave her something to do other than think over what Jiang said.

She glanced at the other woman, who was frowning down at her hands where they rested in her lap.

“Why do you even care?” June asked.

“Where do I start?” Jiang asked sarcastically. “Maybe with the fact that you’ve dragged me away from my crew, or what about the shipment of medical supplies a village won’t have because I’m not there to get it? I thought maybe you were better than this when you let me go last time.”

June looked away. “Well now you know I’m not,” she said, standing to enter her tent.

“No,” Jiang said. “I still think you are, even if you don’t.”

June didn’t get much sleep that night.

They reached the colony by noon the next day. Jiang hadn’t said a word since last night and June was glad for it.

She slid down from Nyla when they reached the prison house. June pulled Jiang down and tossed the woman over her shoulder, since the ties around her feet prevented her from walking.

“One troublesome pirate Captain,” she said, dropping Jiang into a free chair in the room.

“Excellent,” the Fire Nation guard said. “Private! Go get the woman her money and then send word to the Captain.”

A man at the back saluted before disappearing. 

June tried to ignore the look Jiang was staring into the side of her head. It wasn’t a glare. If June had to name the emotion, she’d say the other woman was sad.

The Private returned with her money and June counted it out to make sure it was all there.

Before she left, she turned by to Jiang. “Answer me honestly this time,” June said. “Why did you care?”

“Because I was like you once,” Jiang said. “I thought maybe you could change too.”

The guard laughed.

June had forgotten he was there.

“Trying to reform a bounty hunter?” He asked. “Good luck, there’s not a civilized bone in their bodies, much like you pirates.”

June ignored the man and left the room, Jiang’s words ringing in her ears.

June climbed up on Nyla, but before she could leave, she heard the Private say, “The Captain said she’s to be executed at dawn the next day.”

June looked back through the open doorway and saw Jiang’s head lowered in defeat.

If June thought she couldn’t sleep the night before, it was nothing compared to now. Closing her eyes only showed her the image of Jiang, someone who had fought June all the way here, so defeated. Trying to sleep, her thoughts were filled with Jiang’s words from their journey and all the things men, like that guard, had said to her over the years.

June huffed as she threw off her blanket. She had come to a decision.

She dressed quickly and packed her things. She already had her money from Jiang’s capture.

June saddled up Nyla, but left her tied down outside the inn as she made her way towards the prison house.

A guard turned the corner and June slipped a shirshu venom needle into their neck. The woman hit the ground and June made short work dressing in her uniform.

The keys on the woman’s belt opened the door to the cell block. There was only one occupied cell, which made things much easier.

Jiang glared up at her. “What do you want?” she spat.

June lifted her visor. “Not a nice way to talk to someone who came to rescue you,” June said.

“June,” Jiang whispered.

“So, you did catch my name,” June said, unlocking Jiang’s cell door.

“You changed your mind,” Jiang said, standing.

“I already have my money,” June said. “There was no need to let you die.”

“Aren’t bounty hunters built on reputation?” Jiang asked. “I don’t think the Fire Nation is going to work with you after this.”

“I don’t think I want to work with the Fire Nation after this,” June replied. She held her finger to her lips as she peered around the corner. “This is where we run.”

Jiang raised a brow at her, but didn’t hesitate to take off when June gave the signal.

There was something rather exhilarating about running for your life. June felt lighter than she ever had as she and Jiang raced towards the local inn. They both slid to a stop in front of Nyla. The shirshu growled slightly at Jiang, but stopped when June placed a hand on her muzzle.

Jiang started laughing and June followed.

“I guess I got to you,” Jiang said, pushing lightly at June’s arm.

“I guess you did,” June said. “Let’s get you back to your crew.”

“You better split that money with me,” Jiang said.

June rolled her eyes. “Now, why would I do that?” She asked.

Jiang leaned in really close to June’s face.

“Because, you like me,” Jiang whispered, her breath ghosting over June’s cheek.

June breathed deeply as a tension rose between them. It reminded her of their moment in the alleyway.

Voices could be heard in the surrounding area. The unnerving howl of an eel hound sounded through the air.

“We should leave,” June whispered back, not wanting to break the moment, but knowing they needed to escape first.

Jiang nodded and climbed onto Nyla.

June untied the shirshu before joining her. A snap of the whip and the three were tearing through the trees. This time, June wasn’t stopping until they were back with Jiang’s ship. Eel hounds weren’t to be messed with.

It was a quiet torment, having Jiang pressed to her back as her arms wrapped around her waist the whole way back. Without the bounty hanging over their heads, June was more willing to admit to the low burning attraction she’d been feeling the whole time she’d dealt with Jiang.

“I was serious,” Jiang whispered in her ear as they rode. “There’s a spot for you on my crew if you want it.”

June shook her head. “I’m a bounty hunter, not a pirate,” June said.

“Shame,” Jiang said as June pulled them to a stop outside the town Jiang’s ship was docked in.

June could see the ship, swarming with crew members coming and going as they searched for their Captain.

“Duty calls, I guess,” Jiang said, slipping down from Nyla.

June followed her, not quite wanting to leave yet.

“I’d say it’s been fun, but almost dying kind of ruined it,” Jiang said, her face softened as she looked down slightly at June. “I’m glad you changed your mind.”

“So am I,” June said.

“Is it weird that I’m kind of going to miss your attempts to kidnap me?” Jiang asked.

June raised a brow, even though she knew what Jiang was talking about. June would kind of miss it too.

Jiang hummed. “Maybe I’ll just miss you,” she said, glancing at June through her lashes. June licked her lips, aware that Jiang’s eyes followed the movement.

Jiang’s lips met hers, softly at first, before pushing with just a bit more pressure. Jiang’s hand came up to cup June’s face.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Jiang said. “I saw how fast that shirshi moves.”

“Go,” June said. “I’ll catch up later.”

Jiang smiled. “I’ll hold you to that,” she said, pulling June into one last kiss.

Jiang smiled before running off to put her crew back together. June’s lipstick had tinted the other woman’s lips. 

June watched her go for a moment before climbing back onto Nyla and heading on to the next job.

Jiang jokingly called it their retirement, the traveling the two started doing when they met back up more permanently after the war. 

The two had kept in touch after their escapade together to June’s surprise. She hadn’t expected Jiang to actually want to see her again, but a few months after they met the ship had crossed her path again and the two had actually stopped to talk about what they had previously ignored between them.

Jiang’s crew somewhat dispersed after the war, with Jiang leaving the ship to her first mate and cousin. She wanted something new with her life now that the war was over.

June hadn’t been surprised to find her on her doorstep soon after.

Bounty hunting gigs were slowly drying up as well, with all the people who ran at the last second being rounded up.

It left the two women with all the time in the world.

June rolled over in bed and ran her hand over Jiang’s tan shoulder.

Jiang move to face her, sliding her hand into June’s hair and tangling her fingers there.

“Morning,” June said. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

Her girlfriend smirked. “You,” Jiang said, leaning forward to kiss her.

June relaxed into the kiss, forgetting about the bounty they were here to collect. Jiang’s kisses were worth every bounty in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time really writing Jiang outside of small cameos so I hope I got her right.


End file.
